3 - Subconscious

Waking up outside to the sun blazing down on his skin isn't what Everest expected when he opens his eyes, raising a hand to his face to shield them from the rays beating down on him. With a deep groan, Everest rises from his spot on the overgrown grass, his body having left an imprint signifying he's been asleep out here longer than he remembers.

Well, he doesn't remember anything, really.

Startled out of his groggy state, he searches his surroundings. To his left is the forest he recalls entering, looming ominously over him. With a panicked gasp, Everest turns to the right to find both Noah and Felix seemingly just now waking up with mumbled words and disgruntled moans. Everest breathed out a sigh, a weight lifting and yet still feeling out of sorts.

He doesn't stand. Instead chooses to stay seated in his confusion. Meanwhile, Felix had jolted upright, hands frantically patting himself down then leaping for Noah to check the youngest for any injuries.

"Are you guys okay?" Felix holds out a hand for the alhami, who takes it and hoists himself up with a grunt.

Noah grimaced, swiping at his dirtied trousers. "I think so," he shakes his head, black waves of hair falling into his eyes which land on a still silent Everest. "Eve, are you okay?"

Said male decides to fall flat on his back, laying spread eagle style with a thoughtful look of wonderment on his face even when his two friends let out concerned yelps. "Guys," he starts as he stares up at the cloudless sky, "How did we get here?"

Noah stands still, ponders the question. Felix falls next to Everest and proceeds to check him, lifting Everest's arms, and urging Everest to sit back up so that he can look at him properly, to which the other follows without complaint. Besides Felix's muttering, the three remain in silence, not knowing the answer to Everest's previous question. Everest crinkles his eyebrows, thinking long and hard, "Do you remember what happened?" He searches his memories for anything helpful but only gets blurry images and distorted dialogue. Everest sighs, head pounding when he attempts to conjure up a clear picture of yesterday's events.

The youngest frowns, "We went into the forest..." He trails off, lifting shaky hands to his face, "But.. the path... there was no path." He states, holding a hand to his head but groans when he can't remember anything either, "We-we were lost, but I don't know what happened after that." He turns to Felix, "Do you..remember Felix?"

He only receives a shrug in response. Felix stands up with a firm grip on Everest's arm to help the other up from the ground. "I don't know, and I don't care." Felix looks at the youngest with furrowed eyebrows and his lips set in a firm line, "I told you guys it was a bad idea to go in there." He scolds, beginning to walk away. "I think it's better if we forget we ever went inside." He side-eyes the eerie forest as he says this. "We're obviously not welcome." He mumbles the last bit to himself. Even his memories were fuzzy and unclear. He, like the other two, remembered nothing.

It was when Noah spoke up that Felix gave a dramatic but accurately fearful cry, "Ami, we left midday yesterday... it's morning now, that means it's been a full day since we were last seen!"

"Everyone must be worried!" Noah grabs hold of Noah's arm and tugs him along, resulting in Noah grabbing hold of Everest's collar and pulling him along. "We gotta go!"

But something nagged at Everest, he was missing something, and the blurry faces and flashes of pretty people were part of it. Everest felt a feeling of comfort caress over him right before he's dragged off the forest perimeter. The moment his foot left the healthier patch of grass-something he never noticed before till now- an instant feeling of cold washes over him, leaving him feeling hollow and at a loss. His dark eyes never left the tall trees that once intimidated him- but now brought him a form of relief, somehow things felt brighter-.

He knew he had to return.

Everest's attention is brought back to his friend's when Felix exclaims loudly, a smaller body running into his legs. A young girl with wide, tearful blue eyes and thick blonde curls on her head "Bobar!" She squeaks out through her cries, "Where did you go?" Felix releases his hold on Noah, who chooses to stand beside Everest, and the two of them awkwardly hover as the sibling duo make a scene outside the village's entrance.

"I'm sorry, Gina!" Felix says back in equal amounts of distress. "We just," he pulls back, suddenly unsure of what he's supposed to say to his little sister without causing her any more grief.

Everest steps in quickly, smiling awkwardly as he attempts to explain where they were without actually explaining if that made any sense. "We got lost in the fields!" He waves his hands to emphasize his story, "And then Noah fell in a hole, and we had to get him out of it, so it took all night!" Everest ignores the indignant squawk Noah makes, the youngest tugging at his arm but not saying anything.

With a sniffle, the nine-year-old clings to her older brother while eyeing the other two skeptically. "You are dirty," she murmurs into Felix's shoulder, face flushed red and eyes red-rimmed. "You're not allowed there ever ever ever again!" She declares firmly in a pitched voice, tone cracking.

Felix cooed, brushing Regina's messy curls out of her face, and agrees wholeheartedly. "I'm sure mutier is worried, let's go home." Without prompting, Felix grips Regina and lifts her. He turns to Everest and Noah, a warning in his eyes, "We're not gonna go back to the fields for a while-"

"Not ever!" Came Regina's shrill yell.

Noah and Everest nod, one a bit more hesitant than the other, when Felix echoes his sister firmly. "I think we should all go home and forget this all happened." He stands there a moment longer, and in a softer voice, says, "I'll see you guys tomorrow. Please get home unharmed."

And then he's walking away, leaving Noah and Everest to stare at his back, Regina's face buried in the crook of his neck.

"He's right," Noah states, seemingly reluctant to admit it. "Let's go home and attempt to forget this ever happened." The youngest's shoulder's slump. His doe eyes clearly read that he yearns to understand but the logical side of him knows that it's probably best to move on even when his curiosity eats at him.

Everest can't say the same for himself.

"Okay," but he lets the lie slip out from his lips, "Get home safe and we'll meet up at mine tomorrow."

With a nod, Noah begins making his way home, leaving Everest alone to his thoughts.

"I want to remember."

Everest looks out into the distance where tall trees loom, leaves rustling in the wind and glowing a vibrant, healthy green, unlike the ones he sees in their small village and surrounding fields.

"I will remember."

When he closes his eyes, a smile full of sharp teeth greets him back.

note- Mutier (muh-teir) ; mother Bobar (bo-bar) ; brother Alhami (Al-uh-my) ; term used for someone younger than you, can be used for both genders, friendly/familiar Ami (ah-me) ; a term used for someone older, young boy to older boy, friendly/familiar